"Who Will Be Ruth?" was a headline that dominated small town newspapers from 1915- 1918. This headline corresponded with a contest that targeted young women to participate in the new national pastime of cinema by having local women vie for the roles in a film with citizens voting for their favourite woman to play the lead character of Ruth. The "Who Will Be Ruth?" contest became a local phenomenon, which garnered tens of thousands of votes in each town the contest ran. The contest exemplifies the film contest trend that occurred in newspapers from 1911-1918, which elicited audience participation in the creation of film content. Movie contests reveal an early participatory culture, which contradicts critical theory's notion of a passive audience. Mass produced cinema in fact actualized publics that participated in the creation of the very content they consumed. The formation of movie fans can be studied by exploring early participation in collective practices, as reflexive circulation of discourse is integral to the creation of a public (Warner, 2002). My research involves studying three distinctive film contests that demonstrate the historical process of creating fandom through the use of newspaper texts. The transformation of film into American mass culture in the 191 Os is directly connected to fan groups who were largely made up of female fans who both legitimized film going and created a distinctive fan public. Film contests gave women agency in creating content for mass culture before voting rights were universal. An exploration of movie contests from 1911-1918 will provide new insights into the relationship between participatory
cultures, aesthetic objects and discourse.


Electron lenses are extremely poor: if glass lenses were as bad, we should see as well with the naked eye as with a microscope! The demonstration by Otto Scherzer in 1936 that skilful lens design could never eliminate the spherical and chromatic aberrations of rotationally symmetric electron lenses was therefore most unwelcome and the other great electron optician of those years, Walter Glaser, never ceased striving to find a loophole in Scherzer's proof. In the wartime and early post-war years, the first proposals for correcting Cs were made and in 1947, in a second milestone paper, Scherzer listed these and other ways of correcting lenses; soon after, Dennis Gabor invented holography for the same purpose. These approaches will be briefly summarized and the work that led to the successful implementation of quadupole–octopole and sextupole correctors in the 1990s will be analysed. In conclusion, the elegant role of image algebra in describing image formation and processing and, above all, in developing new methods will be mentioned.


Flooding of alarms is a very crucial problem in process industries. An alarm flood makes an operator ineffective of taking necessary actions, and often risking an emergency shutdown or a major upset. In this work, the flooding of alarms is discussed based on the standards presented in ISA 18.2. A new analysis method is proposed to investigate similar alarm floods from the historic alarm data and group them on the basis of the patterns of alarm occurrences. A case study on real industrial alarm data is also presented to demonstrate the utility of the proposed analysis.


Background: The cardiac calcium ATPase, SERCA2a, is a critical pump responsible for Ca2+ re-uptake during excitation-contraction coupling. Impaired Ca2+ uptake resulting from decreased expression and reduced activity of SERCA2a is a hallmark of heart failure. Accordingly, restoration of SERCA2a expression by gene transfer has proved to be effective in improving cardiac function in heart-failure patients, as well as in animal models. However, the underlying mechanisms of SERCA2a's dysfunction remain incompletely understood.

Methods and Results: In this study, we show that SERCA2a is modified by SUMO1 at lysine sites 480 and 585 and that this SUMOylation is essential for preserving SERCA2a ATPase activity and stability in mouse and human cells. SUMO1 and SERCA2a SUMOylation levels were both decreased in mouse and pig models of heart failure and failing human left ventricles. To determine whether reduced SUMO1 levels are responsible for reduced SERCA2a protein levels and reduced cardiac function, we used an adenovirus associated virus-mediated gene delivery approach to up-regulate SUMO1 in trans aortic constriction-induced mouse model of heart failure. We found that increasing SUMO1 levels led to a restoration of SERCA2a levels, improved hemodynamic performance, and reduced mouse mortality. By contrast, down-regulation of SUMO1 using small hairpin RNA accelerated cardiac functional deterioration and was accompanied by decreased SERCA2a function.

Conclusion: In this study, we study a new mechanism for modulation of SERCA2a activity and beneficial effects of SUMO1 in the setting of heart failure. It suggests that changes in post-translational modifications of SERCA2a could negatively affect cardiac function in heart failure. Our data may provide a new platform for the design of therapeutic strategies for heart failure.


The work carried out under the XMat research programme (Materials Systems for Extreme Environments, EPSRC Programme Grant number EP/K008749/1-2) in the field of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites has been focused on the design, development and manufacture of complex shapes and large panels for use under extreme conditions. The composites are made from 2.5D woven carbon fibre preforms impregnated with HfB2 powders and with a pyrolytic carbon, PyC, matrix created using chemical vapour infiltration, CVI. More recently, the knowledge acquired during the development of these Cf-HfB 2 -C composites has been focused on shortening the densification time by moving from conventional CVI to Radio Frequency-heated CVI; the work has also switched to Cf-ZrB 2 -C composites. In addition, the use of 3D carbon fibre preforms has begun to be explored to improve the mechanical properties and also the replacement of PyC matrix with ZrB 2 to reducing the oxidation of the composites at ultra-high temperature.


Real-time solutions for noise reduction and signal processing represent a central challenge for the development of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). In this paper, we introduce the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) filter, a tunable digital passband filter for online noise reduction and onset detection without preliminary learning phase, used in economic markets analysis. MACD performance was tested and benchmarked with other filters using data collected with functional Near Infrared Spectoscopy (fNIRS) during a digit sequence memorization task. This filter has a good performance on filtering and real-time peak activity onset detection, compared to other techniques. Therefore, MACD could be implemented for efficient BCI design using fNIRS.


This paper observes the increasing influence of godmen in India and the socio-economic division among devotees that influences their decision to follow them. The study navigates through various social spheres and predominantly focuses on lower-income groups, middle-income groups, and upper-income groups to piece together the research paper. It focuses on in-depth interviews as a primary source of understanding these differences and is followed by possible deductions of the same, keeping in mind the hypothesis that there is a socio-economic divide in this seemingly secular framework of spirituality and religion, as defined by the devotees. These interviews are narrative analyzed to detect any recurring patterns within the economic groups and the following groups. Constructivism as a theory is used to understand how the arguments put forward by the interviewees are influenced by their social position in society and how they are inclined towards understanding reality on individual terms. The study's findings prove that a possible correlation can be derived between an individual's economic standing and expectations while following a certain godmen.


Since the introduction of social software and Web 2.0 technologies, discussion about the influence and importance of a broad range of new tools for various fields has followed (Safran, Gütl, & Helic, 2007; Boulos & Wheeler, 2007). Considerable potential for Web 2.0-based applications is seen in supporting information retrieval and classification of online resources. The Internet offers a huge amount of information varying in content, format, and quality. This diversity poses a challenge for users seeking specific information. Modern Web 2.0 technologies facilitate the collaboration and sharing of information among users, thus enabling cooperative processes of information search. While in Web 1.0 the user was not integrated into the organization of content, in today's Del.icio.us-type folksonomy-based systems the user is actively engaged via the newly emerged tag recommendaABSTRACT


The paper examines the banking system over the last two years, since the first signs of the economic crisis became apparent with the collapse of Northern Rock. The paper will be in four main parts. Part one will consider briefly the economic crisis being experienced in the UK from 2007 to present. It will examine the collapse of Northern Rock and the regulatory interplay and causal actions between the United States of America and the UK. It will demonstrate the close relationship the global economic system has evolved into. The second part of the paper will consider the main regulatory documentations that have been published during the economic crisis. In total within the UK there have been 23 policy documents, speeches and regulations that have come into the public domain, these will be considered and analysed to demonstrate the policy approach taken by the tripartite authorities. The third part of the paper considers the impact the economic crisis has had on the banks banking organisations within the UK. The paper looks at the following banking institutions: HBOS, Lloyds, RBS in terms of the crisis. Finally the paper will consider what the future could hold for the banking system once it has recovered from the economic crisis. The paper explores the different approach to rebuilding the banking system and whether a global or pan European approach could be an option for reform regulation.


Early on, with the technological developments, machines have replaced the human workers which pave the way to mass production for decades. With the increase of variety of goods and number of producers, competition has grown to produce cheap, high number of goods with high quality. This has led the producers to think about ways to lessen the scraps and prevent problems. Thus, techniques and approaches like Total Quality Management, Lean Manufacturing, Six-Sigma have been developed and grown in importance. Whereas in today's competitive world what is counted as success is no more the ability to produce but also to design. World trend is growing to find ways to design the most rapid, cost effective and quality product. In a similar way to the progress of production, new approaches, methodologies and principles are being generated and initiatives are established to fulfill this need in engineering area. Challenges increase in diversity and difficulty in parallel with the complexity of the design. Until now, companies used product data management methods and tools in order to integrate and provide the running of the tasks. Further developments in information technology shall be used to put in more knowledge to these systems to lessen the routine design work while enabling the designer to touch the tacit-knowledge. This paper will examine the lean thinking in engineering and try to harmonize the Lean Engineering Approach with Concurrent Engineering (CE) Philosophy. Principles to enable CE applications in Aerospace Industry will be developed and an analogy of Lean techniques will be outlined.


This thesis is focused on the origin and evolution of blue compact galaxies (BCGs). BCGs are low mass galaxies characterised by blue colours, low chemical abundances and high star formation rates. The gas consumtion time scale is considerable shorter than the age of the universe and thus the high star formation rate must be transient. Such a non sustainable star formation rate is commonly referred to as a "starburst". It has been proposed that BCGs are genuinely young galaxies or alternatively that theyoccasionally undergo starbursts, separated by long quiesent periods. It is of importance for the understanding of the evolution of galaxies, and in particular dwarf galaxies, to understand under what conditions a galaxy can become a starbursting BCG.The properties of in particular intrinsically luminous BCGs have been examined photometrically and kinematically. The results show that the studied galaxies have a population of old stars underlying the luminous starbursts. Thus they are not young galaxies. It is shown that infrared photometry is a powerful method to detect underlying old populations in BCGs. Kinematical studies of the velocity field suggests that the galaxies have been perturbed by mergers, and it is proposed that mergers betweengas rich dwarf galaxies is the triggering mechanism for starbursts in luminous BCGs. Low surface brightness galaxies are promising ingredients in such mergers.Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope of the BCG ESO 338- IG04 reveal the presence of a very rich population of globular clusters (GCs) of various ages. Apparently GC formation is still going on in this starbursting galaxy. The age dating of GCs offers an efficient way of studying the starburst history of BCGs and galaxies in general. The relation between BCGs and other types of low mass galaxies is discussed.


BACKGROUND
Skewing of responses towards T helper (Th) 17 and away from T regulatory cells (T-regs) has been suggested to be partially involved in autoimmune diseases like vitiligo.

AIMS
Clarify the possible role and relationship between Th17 and T-regs in vitiligo by measuring tissue, systemic levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-22 and Forkhead box P3.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
84 non-segmental vitiligo patients and 80 controls were included. Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, Vitiligo Disease Activity and stress score were determined. Skin biopsies underwent immunohistochemical staining for IL-17, IL-22 and FoxP3 and their systemic levels were determined by ELISA and quantitative real time PCR.

RESULTS
Mean area % of +ve immunostaining and serum levels of IL-17 (34.12 ± 5.12, 23.62 ± 8.17 pg/mL) and IL-22 (48.63 ± 19.23, 43.53 ± 11.95 pg/mL) were significantly higher in patients compared to controls (15.33 ± 4.19, 12.83 ± 3.29 pg/mL) (13.44 ± 3.82, 9.92 ± 4.7 pg/mL) (P<0.001). Mean area % of +ve immunostaining and peripheral blood levels of FoxP3 were significantly lower in patients (2.67 ± 0.54, 0.574 ± 0.32) compared to controls (7.12 ± 0.18, 1.48 ± 0.49) (P<0.001). In patients, a positive correlation between IL-17 and IL-22 was detected (r = 0.671, P<0.001), each showing negative correlation with FoxP3 (r = -0.548, P<0.001), (r = -0.382, P<0.001). VASI, VIDA and stress score correlated positively with IL-17, IL-22 and negatively with FoxP3.

CONCLUSION
Th17 and T-regs are intertwined in the complexity of vitiligo giving hope of treatment through adjuvant therapies controlling the delicate balance between them.


Background: Previous studies have shown reduced penumbral salvage in ischemic stroke patients with higher leukoaraisosis (LA) volume. Although unproven, decreased cerebral vessel density and diminished capacity of cerebral vessels to dilate in response to reduced blood flow in severe LA, are considered among the factors that might explain the association between LA burden and infarct growth in ischemic stroke. Both of these factors, in theory, might negatively affect the extent of collateral blood flow, an important predictor of tissue and clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we therefore analyzed whether extent of LA adversely affected the degree of collateral circulation in a cohort of patients presenting with middle cerebral artery occlusion. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of patients admitted with a diagnosis of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Computed tomography angiography source images (CTA-SI) were used to assess the degree of collateral circulation, based on a previously validated scoring system which grades collateral vessels in the sylvian fissure and leptomeningeal convexity separately on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 the best. The extent of LA was determined on FLAIR images by using the Fazekas scale. Multivariate analysis was used to explore the relationship between extent of LA and degree of collateral circulation, adjusted for other covariates like age, gender, vascular risk factors and time from symptom onset to CTA imaging. Results: A total of 51 patients (31 female, 20 male) were included into the study. LA severity was significantly and negatively correlated with the degree of collateral supply (r=-0.31, p=0.03). LA severity (OR 5.9, 95%CI 1.5-24.0) and history of prior stroke (OR 7.8, 95%CI 1.0-59.3) were the only significant variables associated with insufficient collaterals (defined as a combined sylvian and lepotmeningeal collateral score of 5 or less) in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Patients with higher LA burden have a poor recruitment of collateral vessels after middle cerebral artery occlusion. This association might contribute to reduced penumbral salvage and increased susceptibility to infarct growth observed in patients with severe LA.


+e debris flow is one of the geological hazards; its occurrence is complex, fuzzy, and random. And it is affected by many indices; a new multi-index assessment method is proposed to analyze the risk level of debris flow based on the entropy weight-normal cloud model in Banshanmen gully.+e index weight is calculated by using the entropy weight method.+en, the certainty degree of each index belonging to the corresponding cloud is obtained by using the cloud model. +e final risk level of debris flow is determined according to the synthetic certainty degree. +e conclusions are drawn that the method is feasible and accurate rate of risk estimation for debris flow is very high, so a new method and thoughts for the risk assessment of debris flow can be provided in the future.


Due to the lately increase of medical technology in the hospital practice; it is necessary to be aware of the crucial importance of the performance verification of this technology. On the contrary, an increase of failures or accidents may occur, which in some cases, can be dangerous or fatal for the patients. In order to offer more security to the patients, some performance procedures on the infusion pumps were developed. The measures and verifications were done under laboratories procedures, based on IEC 60601-2-24: 2012 standards, "Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of infusion pumps and controllers". With the use of specialize equipment, some measures were obtained to graphic the established flow and trumpet curves. Eight infusion pumps of the same brand and model were analyzed in the laboratory. The obtained curves and the typical curves from the manufacturer were compared, using digital programs and statistical studies.
As a result, some differences in the administration precision were discovered.
To conclude we can say that even using the same model, brand and age, the accuracy of the equipment is different.


Humans live in complicated social-ecological systems within which we interact with our surrounding environment. This interaction is of concern to various disciplines, which focus on various system elements (factors), many of which are mutually interacting. Assessments of vulnerability to climate change assist us in realizing the magnitude of the impact of various climate change factors, allowing us to determine and adopt appropriate adaptation measures. Nevertheless, previous impact-driven vulnerability assessments are either disciplinary or multidisciplinary and cannot easily account for the interaction between different disciplines. This paper proposes an interdisciplinary vulnerability assessment method (IVAM) to develop a framework by which interdisciplinary vulnerabilities can be understood. In addition, IVAM processes can promote the emergence of an interdisciplinary system, which could be used to identify the scope of interdisciplinary influence of a particular policy, along with the critical elements (factors) and government stakeholders of such policies. This research seeks to further the policy goals of the national government of Taiwan vis-a-vis climate change, covering the joint cooperation of experts from fields including environmental disaster management, public health, food security, ecology, and water resource management. The specific advantage of IVAM, however, is that this universal model is not limited to any of these specific disciplines.


At the end of 2005, the State Council of China passed "The Decision on adjusting the Individual Account of Basic Pension System", which adjusted the individual account in the 1997 basic pension system. In this essay, we will analyze the adjustment above, and use Life Annuity Actuarial Theory to establish the basic pension substitution rate model. Monte Carlo simulation is also used to prove the rationality of the model. Some suggestions are put forward associated with the substitution rate according to the current policy .


Sharer consideration of receiver knowledge needs and behaviours may improve the quality and results of knowledge sharing. This paper examines how sharers may be influenced by perceived receiver knowledge needs and behaviours when making knowledge sharing choices. Such a consideration adopts an emancipatory approach aimed at acknowledging the rights of those employees who need knowledge to receive it, despite the conflicting goals, agendas or efficiency pressures of sharers. Based on a literature review, a receiver-based theory of knowledge sharing is proposed. Empirical data from two case studies highlight the key role played by perceived receiver knowledge needs and behaviours as motivators and inhibitors in sharer choices. A set of key receiver influences on knowledge sharing is provided. This study concludes that companies should develop better ways to connect potential sharers with the real knowledge needs of receivers, particularly when knowledge technologies mediate sharing. Further, the findings suggest that sharing on a need-to-know basis impedes change in organisational power structures and prevents the integration of isolated pockets of knowledge that may yield new value.


Crowd behavior analysis, a subdomain of human
activity recognition, is a broad topic in computer vision that
includes crowd management, public space design, virtual
environments, visual surveillance, and intelligent environments.
Recent areas of high interest include interactions between small
groups of people and large crowds of people at gatherings such as a
sporting venue, concert, or religious pilgrimage. Tragic incidents,
such as the stampeding that occurred at the 2010 Loveparade concert
and the multiple incidents that have occurred at the Jamarat Bridge
necessitate a need for crowd analysis. Since 1994, over 1500 people
have been killed or injured in stampedes and related incidents
during the Hajj. Advances in crowd analysis research have improved
and insured the safety of individuals of future events. Our
research is aimed at preventing such incidents from occurring
through real-time detection of abnormal crowd
behavior. In this dissertation, we present two
methods for abnormal behavior detection in an effort to reduce the
number of tragic incidents occurring in large crowds. The first
method is based upon deviations in primary or dominant motion paths
within the scene. We implement a method for dominant motion
extraction based upon optical flow clustering and develop a
matching algorithm to compare dominant motion paths at various
points in the video. Our second method, using a particle advection
model for local motion, predicts the location of a particle based
upon its previous motion. By measuring the distance between the
predicted trajectory and the observed trajectory, we are able to
determine the presence of abnormal behavior. This method addresses
several deficiencies in our first. Lastly, we present a method for
video clustering of crowd motion based upon optical flow. Our
methodology uses histograms of optical flow to train a support
vector machine to classify types of dominant motion. Using these
classes, we cluster similar videos using hierarchical methods.
Experiments use hundreds of videos from several public video motion
data sets.


This paper offers an analytical procedure for identifying phraseological variation within 'concgrams' (Cheng et al. 2006), which are sets of words that co-occur regardless of constituency variation (e.g. AB and A * B), positional variation (e.g. AB and BA), or both. It argues that examining concgrams takes us closer to more fully appreciating and understanding the idiom principle (Sinclair 1987) which underpins the claim that phraseology is at the heart of all language use. Central to a description of phraseology is the identification of 'meaning-shift units' (MSU) (Sinclair 2007a, 2007b) and the analytical procedure for concgrams described in this paper can lead to their identification. In this paper, the concordance lines of a two-word concgram, PLAY/ROLE, are analysed to identify all of the possible concgram configurations and their frequencies of occurrence. Based on frequency, the canonical form is identified and its meaning described. The canonical form then serves as the benchmark against which all of the other concgram configurations are compared, resulting in a ranking of the concgram configurations relative to their adherence to the canonical form. At the end of the process, a meaning-shift unit is identified and described with all of its potential variations; in other words, a paraphrasable family with a canonical form and patterns of co-selection. Lastly, this paper proposes initial theoretical statements to account for key phraseological patterns so far observed, and explores the implications of a shift in emphasis towards descriptions of phraseological variations for the field of applied linguistics.


A Durational Performance Art Work/ 'Install-action', as part of the 'Accumulator' Performance Event and Multi-Media Exhibition, as part of the Opening Exhibitions of the Visual Centre for Contemporary Art, County Carlow, Ireland. Curated by Amanda Coogan.The Performance Artwork took place on Saturday 21st. November 2009. The Exhibition/Project ran for two Months, within the 'Digital Gallery'.(Other Performing/Exhibiting Artists within the 'Accumulator' Event were: Amanda Coogan, Neva Elliott, Declan Rooney, Yingmei Duan, and Alasatir Mac Lennan.)I and five other artist was invited to participate and create new performance artworks within the 'Accumulator' a 'Performance Art Exhibition' in the 'Digital Gallery' and as part of the Opening Exhibitions of the new Visual Centre for Contemporary Art, County Carlow, Ireland. Each artist was asked to make new performance artworks in response to the installation & detritus of the last artist, The resulting Installations were exhibited until the next artist performed and changed the space.The Accumulator Performance Exhibition was Curated by Amanda Coogan who also opened the sequence of Performance Installations within the space. Other Performing/Exhibiting Artists within the 'Accumulator' Event were: Neva Elliott, Declan Rooney, Yingmei Duan, and Alasatir Mac Lennan, who was also the last to perform and exhibit. I and each of the artists (except Amanda Coogan), were asked to respond to the exhibition space, as they found it, after the previous artist had left it. Each artist therefore had to respond creatively to the last artist's work and make material and spatial choices prior to working in the gallery themselves. This was the first time such an exhibition has been seen in Ireland and as such was an ambitious exhibition for the Visual Centre for Contemporary Art to host. The Accumulator Performance Exhibition project broke new ground in relation to incorporating performance art activity within the Gallery System in Ireland. This was achieved through the concept for the event/exhibition, which saw a chain of rigorous actions/performances leading to a unique and changing exhibition format and outcome.Each of the Performance Artworks/Installations was recorded on DVD and this documentation was screened within the gallery. The limited edition of 15 "Accumulator" DVD's also stand alone as edited documents of the project/exhibition.The 'Accumulator Performance Exhibition' was also documented in an Essay by Amanda Coogan within "Visual", Centre for Contemporary Art & George Bernard Shaw Theatre Inaugural Exhibitions Catalogue, Accumulator Project Curated by Amanda Coogan. Pages 64 -79, Images and text on 'History Lesson' Performance – P- 76-77. Published by Visual Carlow, ISBN 978-1-907537-00-4.


While songs with distinct Chinese characteristics, whether musically or lyrically, have always been part of local pop history, "China Wind" (zhongguofeng) is a novel phenomenon. Above all, China Wind owes its production and circulation as a discursive formation to its endorsement by mainstream artists, notably from Taiwan, as much as to its popularity among audiences in Greater China. While China Wind pop is yet to be systematically documented, researched and analyzed, popular and media attention has generally focused on Taiwan-based artists and lyrics. In this essay, rather than focusing on what is considered the main source of China Wind songs, namely Taiwan, we have chosen China Wind songs that originated from Hong Kong and their music videos as the primary subject of enquiry. Our central concern is, how do Hong Kong's China Wind music videos engage with hegemonic versions of Chineseness? The choice of Hong Kong is informed by our empirical interest in the complex entanglement of cultural and political power in which the postcolonial city is presumably going through. At the same time it is, in theory and in praxis, a correspondence with the ongoing debates on Chineseness—debates on not only what but also who defines it. Our analyses show that while Hong Kong's China Wind pop evokes Chineseness, it also undermines it in two major ways: first, to render Chineseness as distant gaze, as ambiguous space and as ongoing struggles; and secondly, its feminization of Chineseness, opening up a space for questions on history and gender performance. In other words, the Hong Kong China Wind we have analyzed here articulates something quite different from a triumphalist celebration of Chinese tradition, value and culture. If China Wind as a whole is a culturalist project to rewrite Chineseness in an authentic, monolithic and indisputable way, Hong Kong's variant, we argue, is resisting.


In this study, the asymmetry parameter-included empirical equation proposed by Tel et al. has been applied for ( n , n α) reaction at 14 - 15 MeV energies. The free parameters of equation have been determined by fitting of experimental cross-section data. Even-even and odd-even nuclei classification have been made in order to taking into account of pairing effect on the ( n , n α) reaction cross-sections. Excitation function calculations have been carried out for target nuclei such as 65 Cu, 71 Ga, 31 P and 99 Tc by ( n , n α) reactions up to 30 MeV neutron induced energy. Comparisons have been made among available experimental data and results of cross-sections calculated by nuclear models with results of values calculated by empirical formulas. Determined relations are functional for the ( n , n α) reaction cross-sections at 14 - 15 MeV incoming neutron energies. Acceptable harmonies have been seen between collected experimental data and modelled calculations.


Twenty years ago, Harvard Business School economist and strategy professor Michael Porter stood conventional wisdom about the impact of environmental regulation on business on its head by declaring that well designed regulation could actually enhance competitiveness. The traditional view of environmental regulation held by virtually all economists until that time was that requiring firms to reduce an externality like pollution necessarily restricted their options and thus by definition reduced their profits. After all, if there are profitable opportunities to reduce pollution, profit maximizing firms would already be taking advantage of those opportunities. Over the past 20 years, much has been written about what has since become known simply as the Porter Hypothesis ("PH"). Yet, even today, there is conflicting evidence, alternative theories that might explain the PH, and oftentimes a misunderstanding of what the PH does and does not say. This paper provides an overview of the key theoretical and empirical insights on the PH to date, draw policy implications from these insights, and sketches out major research themes going forward.


Hailed in The Washington Post Book World as "a definitive synthesis of the best editions of recent decades," the massive one-volume Oxford Shakespeare was based on eight years of full-time research by a team of distinguished British and American scholars. The result of the most fundamental rethinking of the text and presentation of Shakespeare's works ever undertaken, it offered many remarkable innovations features, including a new chronological order, revised stage directions, modern spelling and punctuation, and two full versions of King Lear--as originally written and as revised later for performance. The Complete Oxford Shakespeare divides this excellent book into three handy volumes. It contains all the innovative features of the original, including a lucid General Introduction by Stanley Wells, and brief introductions to each work. It has been organized into Histories (including the poems and sonnets), Comedies, and Tragedies, with the plays grouped in chronological order in each volume. Attractively bound, with gold stamping on front and spine, and beautifully designed, these handsome volumes will undoubtably become a treasure for lovers of Shakespeare throughout the English-speaking world.


This slender monograph is a report of the author's observations in his department of cardiology in Amsterdam. The author states the suspicion that experiments on open-chested animals with cut cardiac nerves are subject to possible error has been dispelled by the experience with external electrical stimulation of the heart in man. The author presents a classification of tachycardias, summarizes the physical signs helpful in diagnosis, and emphasizes the difficulty in differentiating between supraventricular tachycardias with wide QRS complexes and ventricular tachycardias. The text of this monograph deals mainly with the use of bundle of His recordings and the response to external electrical stimulation of the heart by right atrial and ventricular electrodes to determine whether certain regular tachycardias represent atrial flutter, atrioventricular (AV) junctional tachycardia, or tachycardia related to the preexcitation syndrome. The bundle of His recordings were accomplished by passing two or more electrodes by the Seldinger technique


Structural and temporal inhomogeneities can have a marked influence on the performance of inorganic and biocatalytic systems alike. While these subtle variations are hardly ever accessible through bulk or ensemble averaged activity screening, insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these diverse phenomena are absolutely critical for the development of optimized or novel catalytic systems and processes. Fortunately, state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy methods have allowed experimental access to this intriguing world at the nanoscale. In this tutorial review we will first provide a broad overview of key concepts and developments in the application of single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to (bio)catalysis research. In the second part topics specific to both bio and heterogeneous catalysis will be reviewed in more detail.


The article deals with the clinicians' views on the widely used methods of brain circulation disorders prevention. On their own experience and on the literature data the authors make a conclusion, that insult is being caused by a number of etiological and pathogenic factors. They discuss some methods of hemodynamics reserve estimation and formulate new ideas for the disorders' possible development.


Abstract The traditional minimum cost feed ration linear programming model is expanded to permit risk management responses to price variability associated with feeding a particular ration across time. The cost minimizing objective function also considers feed costs in a mean-variance (E-V) framework. The model is specified using NRC nutrient requirements and an historic Feedstuffs price series. A decision-maker can choose his/her optimal ration by making tradeoffs between price risk and net income. The results should provide a basis for decision tools that allow livestock producers to manage the net income risk involved in the selection of a feed ration.


Uromyces transversalis, the causal agent of Gladiolus rust, is quarantined in the EU and US because it can be devastating to Gladiolus spp. The aim of this research was to develop molecular markers to: (i) determine the origin of introductions of U. transversalis to the US, (ii) track the movement of genotypes, and (iii) understand the worldwide genetic diversity of the species. Whole genome sequencing was performed on three isolates collected in the US. Genomes were assembled de novo and searched for microsatellite regions. Primers were developed and tested on ten isolates from the US resulting in the identification of 24 robust polymorphic markers. Among 108 isolates collected, markers revealed polymorphism within each isolate with no diversity among isolates. The microsatellite loci and flanking regions showed high diversity and two divergent genomes within dikaryotic individuals, yet no diversity among individuals, suggesting that U. transversalis populations worldwide are strictly clonal. INDEX WORDS: Gladiolus rust; Uromyces transversalis; Whole Genome Sequencing; Microsatellites; Genetic Diversity; Clonal Population MINING THE UROMYCES TRANSVERSALIS GENOME FOR MOLECULAR MARKERS AND INVESTIGATING GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE QUARANTINE-SIGNIFICANT GLADIOLUS RUST FUNGUS


ABSTRACT The periconceptual environment represents a critical window for programming fetal growth trajectories and susceptibility to disease; however, the underlying mechanism responsible for programming remains elusive. This study demonstrates a causal link between reduction of precompaction embryonic mitochondrial function and perturbed offspring growth trajectories and subsequent metabolic dysfunction. Incubation of embryos with carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP), which uncouples mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, significantly reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production in 8-cell embryos and the number of inner cell mass cells within blastocysts; however, blastocyst development was unchanged. This perturbed embryonic mitochondrial function was concomitant with reduced birth weight in female offspring following embryo transfer, which persisted until weaning. FCCP-treated females also exhibited increased adiposity at 4 wk, increased adiposity gain between 4 and 14 wk, glucose intolerance at 8 wk, and insulin resistance at 14 wk. Although FCCP-treated males also exhibited reduced glucose tolerance, but their insulin sensitivity and adiposity gain between 4 and 14 wk was unchanged. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to demonstrate that reducing mitochondrial function and, thus, decreasing ATP output in the precompacting embryo can influence offspring phenotype. This is of great significance as a large proportion of patients requiring assisted reproductive technologies are of advanced maternal age or have a high body mass index, both of which have been independently linked with perturbed early embryonic mitochondrial function.


From one of America's shrewdest economic trend-spotters, this is a wake-up call that prosperity is about to shift from the West to the East, and what can be done before it's too late. By the beginning of this century, it was already commonplace to speak of the US as a "hyperpower," to talk of its military, political, and economic clout as unprecedented in world history, and to assume that American dominance would continue at least throughout our lifetimes. It is conventional wisdom that America will have no serious rivals for at least a generation. But the American position is far more fragile and ephemeral than much of the world believes. In this eye-opening book, Prestowitz reveals the powerful, yet barely visible trends that are converging with the potential to turn the world upside down by ending the six-hundred-year run of Western domination of the world. These trends include the end of America's position as the world's premier place for invention and technological innovation; the sudden entrance of 2.5 billion people in India and China into the world's skilled job market; the role of the World Wide Web in permitting many formerly localized jobs to be done anywhere in the world; and the demographic meltdown of Europe, Japan, Russia, and, in later decades, even China. "Three Billion New Capitalists" is a clear-eyed and profoundly unsettling look at America's and the world's economic future, from an author with a history of predicting the important trends long before they become apparent to others.


A study of filamentous algae and its relation to malaria vector control was conducted during the dry season in several lagoons at the north coast of Bali. Floating masses of these algae under the sunshine barricated the spread of solar-triton larvicide, reducing tremendously the effectiveness of the larvicide. Identification of the genera of these algae under the subphyllum of CYANOPHYTA (Blue Algae) in the family of Cyanophyceae were Oscillatoria, Spirulina, Phormidium, Rivularia, Nostoc, and Anabaena ; under the subphyllum of CHLOROPHYTA (Green Algae) in the family of Chlorophyceae were Enteromorpha, Spirogyra, Mougeotia, Zygnema, and Oedogonium . The surface of water in between the floating masses of algae were an exellent breeding place of mosquitoes mainly Anopheles sundaicus . The density of Enteromorpha, the main attractant of An sundaicus compared to other filamantous algae, has no direct relation on the density of An. sundaicus larva. Hence Enteromorpha could only be considered as the indicator of the presence of larvae and not as the indicator of population densities of larvae Lagoons surrounded with mangrove plantations did not harbour filamentous algae and larvae of An. sundaicus were not found.


OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a preoperative transversus abdominis plane infiltration on postoperative quality of recovery and analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS: The study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Seventy-five healthy women were randomized to receive a preoperative infiltration with 0.5% ropivacaine, 0.25% ropivacaine, or saline. Postoperative quality of recovery score (QoR-40), pain, and opioid consumption were assessed up to 24 hours after the surgical procedure. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test. Post hoc pair-wise comparisons were made using Dunn test. P<.05 was required to reject the null hypothesis. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients completed the study. Patients' baseline characteristics and surgical factors were not different between groups. The ropivacaine group experienced a better quality recovery and less postoperative pain than the saline group. The median difference (99.2% confidence interval) in global recovery scores at 24 hours after surgery was 28 (QoR score 4–39, P=.001) for ropivacaine 0.5% and 28 (QoR score 10–43, P<.001) for ropivacaine 0.25% compared with saline, respectively. The 0.5% ropivacaine group also had less pain, lower opioid consumption, and faster postanesthesia care unit discharge than the saline group. Linear regression demonstrated an inverse relationship between opioid consumption and global quality of recovery at 24 hours (P<.001). CONCLUSION: The transversus abdominis plane infiltration improves quality of recovery. There was an inverse linear relationship between postoperative opioid consumption and quality of recovery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01074229. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I


This work investigates the application of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms in the field of evolutionary electronics. PSO was developed under the inspiration of behavior laws of bird flocks, fish schools and human communities. PSO achieves its optimum solution by starting from a group of random solution and then searching repeatedly. We propose the new means for designing electronic circuits and introduce the modified PSO algorithm. For the case studies this means has proved to be efficient, experiments show that we have better results.


Urban road accidents have been on the increase across the globe, including in Kenya, with far-reaching social and economic impacts. Various factors contribute to road accidents and the associated effects in the literature. The factors contributing to and influencing road accidents vary from location to location, as informed by the research studies undertaken. Consequently, the current research evaluated road infrastructure design's effects on road safety in Nairobi City County and identify the possible solution to the causes. The research adopted an exploratory research design to answer the research questions. The study's target population are the road users of Outering road in Nairobi's Embakasi region, including drivers, conductors, and passengers, boda-boda operators and pedestrians. The research adopted a stratified and systematic sampling method to identify the sample population, with the sample size being 404 participants. The sample population included 308 passengers and pedestrians, 45 drivers (including boda-boda drivers), 45 conductors, four police officers, 1 KURA official and 1 NTSA official. The specific target group were drivers and conductors of Embassava and the passengers that are transported by the vehicles of the Sacco using the Outering road, as well as boda-boda operators. Semi-structured questionnaires were the primary tool for soliciting data from respondents from the target respondents. Data was analysed through descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and regression. The study showed that road signage significantly affected road safety, while road drainage and lighting had no significant effect. The predictors accounted for 26.7% of the variance in road safety. The study is particularly relevant to policymakers and practitioners in the transport sector. The findings highlight the need for investments in infrastructure improvements that enhance road safety in Nairobi County and the importance of involving road users in designing and implementing road infrastructure projects.


Ten years ago, there was well-known and widespread practice variation in the levels of oxygen that neonatologists provided to premature babies.1 Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) targeted oxygen saturations ranging from 82% to 100%. Cole and colleagues summarised the state of knowledge about oxygen therapy for premature babies: "We do not understand optimal oxygenation management in extremely low gestational age neonates (<28 weeks' gestation). No randomised controlled trial has clarified the relation between retinopathy of prematurity and blood oxygen, transcutaneous oxygen or oxygen saturation levels."2 As a result, they noted, "neonatal care providers differ widely, with no consensus in their policies, practices and strong beliefs regarding oxygen management in the early and later neonatal courses of premature infants." They called for prospective randomised trials to address this crucial gap in knowledge, because "continued treatment of millions of premature infants in ignorance of what is safe and effective oxygenation is not an option."

Today, the situation is different because such studies were designed and conducted in the USA,3 Canada,4 Australia, New Zealand and the UK.5 In the USA, the Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial (SUPPORT) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored, multicentre, prospective randomised trial of different strategies to treat lung disease in babies born at 24–27 weeks of gestation. Between 2004 and 2009, approximately 1300 infants were enrolled. The study led to a number of seminal papers that today, at long last, allow oxygen therapy to be evidence based. Babies are safer as a result.

Now, questions are being raised about whether the studies harmed the babies who participated and about whether parents were fully informed about the risks of those studies. On 7 March, the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) notified the researchers in SUPPORT that "…the conduct of this study was in …


This paper discusses a design methodology that seeks to unveil the nature of architectural projects (here abbreviated AP) as the basis for spatial production. This method is embedded within a broader theory of designing that suggests an autonomy of the project as an independent entity detached from the architect. Therefore, the architect's role is to discover the AP. This approach appears as a counteraction to the relational models in designing where the architect constructs the project in limited and subjective ways usually driven by the alienation of external. The methodology presented here also rejects any possibility to reveal the AP in its fullness as a unique and absolute truth. The inherent reality of any project is specific and unique in itself. This means each AP is ontologically complete and different from any other. Because designing is the encounter between the AP and the architect, jectivity is a form of cognition that is neither objective nor subjective. It finds the potential of novel spatial configurations in what we call the "space of abundance," which appears beyond the architect's limited perceptions of the determinate AP. This design method aims to unfold some of the initially ungraspable multiple manifestations. Two particular projects explore jectivity as a methodology that seeks the AP's unknown and turns the procedures that lead to it into new knowledge gained for the architect. The two projects illustrate some of the possible uses of computational and digital technologies for both asking and materializing (cognize and notate) its inward architectural realities.


In the 1911 collection Legends of Vancouver , E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) presents a series of Coast Salish legends based on the oral narratives of Skwxwu7mesh Chief Joe Capilano (Sahp-luk) and his wife Mary Agnes Capilano (Lixwelut). Though in publication now for over a century, no edition of Legends has yet to acknowledge the authorial contributions of Chief Joe and Mary Capilano in the book's shifting "paratext," or critical framework.  Using this collection of stories, I illustrate how the digital humanities –  specifically, web-based "story-mapping" and GIS technologies – can inform our ways of rereading twentieth-century Indigenous literatures. I focus on addressing the erasure of the Capilanos and, by extension, the Skwxwu7mesh Nation throughout Legends of Vancouver 's history of publication , using digital story-maps to recentre the narrative and to reinforce important connections between text and place. My approach simultaneously argues that scholars, publishers, and editors need to reconsider the paratext for all works of Indigenous literatures.


Leandro Soto has been involved in the art world for the past thirty years, participating in well over a hundred solo and group art exhibitions at both die national and international levels. He currently teaches and works in die Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance Department, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona. This interview was took place in April 2007. Isabel Alvarez Borland: Tell us about your beginnings as an artist in the Cuba of the 70s and 80s. What was the importance of Volumen Uno, the group of visual artists to which you belonged? Leandro Soto: Volumen Uno was a very important exhibit that took place in Havana in 1981, at the Galeria de Arte San Rafael, Centro Habana. The art pieces we exhibited created a lot of controversial discussion at the national and international level. The show was very successful and was visited by thousands of people. Eleven artists participated in the event: Jose Bedia, Juan Francisco Elso Padilla, Jose Manuel Fors, Flavio Garciandia, Israel Leon, Rogelio Lopez Marin Gory, Gustavo Perez Monzon, Ricardo Rodriguez Brey, Tomas Sanchez, Ruben Torres Llorca, and myself. The majority of us in the group were recent graduates from ENA (National School of Arts, in Cubanacan) and the San Alejandro Art School. We were extremely disappointed with what was happening at the time in the professional art scene. We were also the first generation totally educated under the "new revolutionary system." Our attitude and opinions were perceived as "bad boy behavior" by artists of previous generations. We were the first group of artists that used our own spaces - studios and residences - as space for our shows. We used parties, group trips, and any vacation time to create art events with the purpose of sharing ideas, concepts and opinions about out work and to share the meaning and significance of what it meant to be an artist in Cuba at that particular time. IAB: Was your art ever compromised in Cuba due to political reasons? LS: I was one of the first artists in my generation to deal with social and political issues in my art. I did an exhibition in Galeria Habana, in 1986, named: This Is Hon/ It Is. In this show, 1 made 365 comics (one for each day in a year) where I questioned different situations from every day life in the Cuba of the 1980s. I was also the first Cuban artist that assumed performance and installation art work as a personal expression. Also, 1 was an avid participant in a variety of art disciplines as well as in literary activities at that time: theater, movies, dance, and interdisciplinary experimental art. IAB: Were you affected by the restrictions imposed on artists during the 1990s economic crisis known as die Periodo Especial? LS: I did not live in Cuba during the years of the Periodo Especial. I had left Cuba in 1988 for Mexico, disappointed and disillusioned with cultural politics. Mexico was a cultural and political exile for me and, at the same time, a new artistic journey. There, I learned the language of the native indigenous people, native dances, theater, mask work, and other artistic expressions. After visiting and working with indigenous communities, I created my own art school in the village of Tamulte de las Sabanas in Tabasco, a native Chontal community. There, I was free to experiment with Non-Western visions of reality and finally became free of "ideological Marxist limitations." At that time, I was ready to question "ready-made" ideological solutions for reality. IAB: As your many exhibits indicate, you have resided in various places around the world and have incorporated the traditions of these countries and cultures into the work you were doing at the time. How would you describe the thematic/aesthetic path your work has taken in terms of these multiple residences? LS: I have developed various paths through my artistic vocation. I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist who expresses himself through various media and art forms: theater, performance art, and visual arts. …


Cutting down 20- to 30-years-old trees of blue spruce ( Picea pungens Engelm.) (October, May) and cross-cutting them to sections of different volume (0.5-75 dm 3 ) under conditions of half-shade × open area resulted in a potential food offer for cambiophages. Ips amitinus (Eichh.) and Pityogenes chalcographus (L.) reached the higher frequency of occurrence on sections placed in the open area than in half-shade and on stems felled in the autumn season than in the spring season. Dryocoetes autographus (Ratz.) was markedly profiled on sections in half-shade with the gradual desiccation of phloem. P. chalcographus preferring open areas occurred on branches being accompanied by Cryphalus abietis (Ratz.), which attacked branches located in half-shade. On stems of sections from both autumn and spring felling, one generation of I. amitinus developed, however, on autumn sections, the 2 nd generation developed unsuccessfully on the original nutritive material. P. chalcographus completed the development of one generation on stems and branches from autumn felling. On the spring material, the invasion was delayed and a part of wintering larvae did not complete their development. Logging residues of P. pungens were available for the development of I. amitinus and P. chalcographus during one growing season only.


Facing increasing societal and economic pressure, many countries have established strategies to develop renewable energy portfolios, whose penetration in the market can alleviate the dependence on fossil fuels. In the case of wind, there is a fundamental question related to the resilience, and hence profitability, of future wind farms to a changing climate, given that current wind turbines have lifespans of up to thirty years. In this work we develop a new non-Gaussian method to adjust assimilated observational data to simulations and to estimate future wind, predicated on a transGaussian transformation and a cluster-wise minimization of the Kullback–Leibler divergence. Future winds abundance will be determined for Saudi Arabia, a country with a recently established plan to develop a portfolio of up to 16 GW of wind energy. Further, we estimate the change in profits over future decades using additional high-resolution simulations, an improved method for vertical wind extrapolation and power curves from a collection of popular wind turbines. We find an overall increase in daily profit of $272,000 for the wind energy market for the optimal locations for wind farming in the country.


Boomerang employment has become an increasingly significant third way to obtain employees, yet little research has focused on why does ex-employee want to come back. Drawing from social identity theory, we propose that legacy identification could increase boomerang intention and both perceived corporate prestige and psychological contract violation could affect boomerang intention through legacy identification. The cooperative relationship between the former organization and the current organization could enhance these effects. Results from a two-time points survey of 202 Chinese employees showed that legacy identification could increase boomerang intention, perceived corporate prestige could increase boomerang intention via legacy identification, psychological contract violation could decrease boomerang intention via legacy identification. Besides, the positive effect of legacy identification on boomerang intention, the positive indirect effect of corporate prestige on boomerang intention via legacy identification, and the negative indirect effect of psychological contract violation on boomerang intention via legacy identification are all stronger when there is a cooperative relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether serum levels of B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) are elevated in patients with systemic immune-based rheumatic diseases and correlate with serum Ig levels and/or autoantibody titers.

METHODS
Sera from 185 patients with various systemic immune-based rheumatic diseases (95 with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], 67 with rheumatoid arthritis [RA], 23 with other diagnoses) were assayed for BLyS and Ig. In 7 patients who required arthrocentesis of a swollen knee, coincident serum and synovial fluid samples were assayed for BLyS. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for elevated autoantibody titers and proteinuria within a 1-month period before or after collection of sera for BLyS and Ig determination. Sera concurrently collected from 48 normal healthy subjects served as controls.

RESULTS
Serum BLyS levels were elevated in 38 of 185 patients (21%) and correlated significantly with serum IgG levels. Serum BLyS levels did not correlate with the patients' age, sex, race, or medications, but correlated positively with anti-double-stranded DNA antibody titers among SLE patients and with rheumatoid factor titers among seropositive RA patients. In contrast, serum BLyS levels correlated inversely with nephrotic-range proteinuria among SLE patients. In every case tested, BLyS levels in clinically inflamed synovial fluids were greater than those in simultaneously obtained sera.

CONCLUSION
BLyS may be an important factor in driving polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and elevated autoantibody titers in patients with systemic immune-based rheumatic diseases. Local production of BLyS in the joints may contribute to joint pathology. Patients with elevated serum BLyS levels may be ideal candidates for therapeutic targeting of BLyS.


Malhi (2015) found a reverse concreteness, or abstractness, effect for word pairs in an iconicity judgment task. Per Vigliocco et al.'s (2009) theory of embodied abstract semantics, Malhi and Buchanan (2017) hypothesized that participants were taking a visualization approach (time-costly) towards the concrete word pairs and an emotional valence approach (time-efficient) towards the abstract word pairs. It was also hypothesized that the abstractness effect emerged not by considering single words in isolation but rather by considering the relationship between them. The goal of the present study was to test these hypotheses and to further investigate this reverse concreteness, or abstractness, effect. Results generally provided support for these hypotheses. An event-related potential (ERP) experiment revealed a dissociation between behavioural abstractness and neural concreteness. The results are interpreted using a proposed theory of flexible abstractness and concreteness effects (FACE).


The quality of 51 series of surface pressure (extending back to between 1780 and 1871) over Europe is assessed using three different homogenization techniques. A new technique introduced here based on an iteration of multiple qualitative comparisons and adjustments (MCAs), and the Caussinus and Mestre technique, based on multiple decision rules and Bayesian statistics, are two methods that do not require a homogeneous reference series for the detection and adjustment of inhomogeneities. The third technique, the standard normal homogeneity test, does require a homogeneous reference series for the homogenization procedure, and has been used only on the last 100 yr of each station series. The results of the three methods, as well as the original, unadjusted data, are compared for differences in the variance of the individual series and in their interstation correlations. Empirical orthogonal function analysis is also used to assess differences in the results of the adjustment methods. The comparisons suggest that surface pressure in this geographical domain may be considered as being stationary over periods ranging from decades to centuries, and thus homogeneous parts of a surface pressure record can be used to adjust for inhomogeneities, as is done using MCA. It is also seen that EOF analysis can be an effective tool to assess the homogeneity of a dataset. The results of the EOF analysis show that inhomogeneities and poorly adjusted series can have undue influence on subsequent analyses.


: Changes in basal and prostaglandin stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase in lymphocytes and platelets of irradiated sheep are phasic. In platelets adenylate cyclase activity is maximum on days 5 and 10 following irradiation, whereas in lymphocytes the enzyme activity is maximum on day 7. cAMP phosphodiesterase activity is slightly changed in platelets and increased in lymphocytes of exposed sheep.


Background: In 2011, it was noted by the hospital that multiple stroke code activations were occurring on inpatients that did not have signs of focal neurological deficit, or stroke. In a six-month retrospective review, a total of 32 inpatient stroke codes were identified. Of these, only 8.6% of patients had a focal neurologic deficit. The remainder had other symptoms, such as alteration in level of consciousness. In addition to the potential harmful effects of unnecessary testing, cost was also considered. A code stroke protocol testing and staffing accumulates approximately $358.00 in cost during the first hour. This is in comparison to the rapid response team activation, which incurs $79.00 during the first hour. Purpose: For inpatient stroke codes, does a floor RN activated RRT, directly followed by an ICU RN activated stroke code, if applicable, reduce the number of inappropriate inpatient stroke code activations? Methods: Following literature review, it was decided by the Stroke Code Team to move having an initial RRT activation by the floor RN who suspects her patient may be having an acute stroke. Then, as part of the RRT, an ICU RN would arrive at the bedside and evaluate the patient. Following assessment, and if it was felt appropriate, a stroke code would be initiated. Results: A 30-day period was closely examined for potential impact. During this period, 11 Stroke Codes were identified. Of these, 3 stroke codes were activated without the RRT and did not follow the new protocol. Of the remaining 8 RRT activations, 6 lead to stroke codes. Of these, 2 of 6 (33.3%) had an accurate diagnosis of acute onset stroke. This indicates a 25% decrease in the number of inaccurate stroke code. Conclusion: Since the RRT activation was an additional step, a primary concern with the change in protocol was the delay in treatment of IV tPA. It did not result in a delay in care, and the time from RRT activation to stroke code team arrival was less than 4 minutes. If the initial RRT activation in place of stroke code was to continue at this pace, an approximate annualized savings of at least $10,800.00 could be achieved. Further data analysis and study is warranted in order to determine long-term cost avoidance and implications to the change in protocol.


The examination of biochemical markers of the damage of the central nervous system may be the excellent complement of the neuroimaging methods. There are factors in the cerebrospinal fluid which indicate the damage of the precise structures of the CNS. In this paper there are described the main markers which are used in diagnostic multiple sclerosis: myelin basic protein (MBP) as a marker of demyelination of the white matter, neuron specific enolase (NSE) as a marker of neuronal damage, tau protein, 14-3-3 protein, neurofilament protein-subunit light (NFL) as markers of axonal damage and S-100 protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein as markers of astroglial damage.


With bold paintings and a simple, rhyming text, Caldecott Medalists Leo & Diane Dillon bring young readers a rap a tap tap celebration of dance that will have readers clapping and tapping along. "There once was a man who danced in the street / He brought pleasure and joy to the people he'd greet / He didn't just dance, he made art with his feet / Rap a tap tap--think of that!" This simple book for young children has the added bonus of describing the life of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s-30s. People said he "talked with his feet," and in the Dillons' graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme. Rap a tap tap--think of that!


Non-coding RNAs constitute a heterogeneous group of molecules that lack the ability to encode proteins but retain the potential ability to influence cellular processes through a regulatory mechanism. Of these proteins, microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and more recently, circular RNAs have been the most extensively described. However, it is not entirely clear how these molecules interact with each other. For circular RNAs, the basics of their biogenesis and properties are also lacking. Therefore, in this study we performed a comprehensive analysis of circular RNAs in relation to endothelial cells. We identified the pool of circular RNAs present in the endothelium and showed their spectrum and expression across the genome. Using different computational strategies, we proposed approaches to search for potentially functional molecules. In addition, using data from an in vitro model that mimics conditions in the endothelium of an aortic aneurysm, we demonstrated altered expression levels of circRNAs mediated by microRNAs.


This project focuses on a critical investigation into a novel development of the
road subgrade incorporating a pre-hydrated geosynthetic clay liner (RGCL) within a
proposed new Encapsulated Road Pavement (ERPS) design system for a Malaysian
difficult ground condition. It studied the effect of static loading on different reinforced
full scale road pavement model for six (6) months duration. Continuous full scale
testing was conducted at Research Centre for Soft Soil (RECESS Malaysia) located in
the campus site of Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn (KUiTTIIO). The test
area consists of very soft clay to a depth of 20 meters (JKR Malaysia, 1987).
The new RGCL is expected to act as a barrier that will encapsulate or 'wrap' the
imported subgrade layer in order to protect it from the high water table that exists in
most parts of the southern region of Malaysia (the state of Johor). Apart from acting as
a barrier to the existing sub-surface / ground water present at the test site, the RGCL
will also function as reinforcement in the road pavement system. The design and
application of RGCL is expected to reduce settlement and the effect of abrupt structural
failure to road pavement constructed on soft soil due to traff"ic loadings. It should
enhance the performance and prolongs the design life of the road pavement. Laboratory
tests on the soil properties and characteristics obtained from the test site were conducted
prior to the full-scale trial road embankment construction. Comparisons of different
design standards mainly the British and Malaysian Standards were made to understand
the current practiced rural road design concept. Full-scale trial road embankments were
instrumented with the state of the art monitoring facilities purchased from Canada
through fundamental research grants (Chapter 5: Field Instrumentation for full scale
research).
From this project, it may be concluded that rural roads when constructed on soft
clay with high water table, need to be reinforced and encapsulated with an impermeable
layer so that the subgrade layer may last longer as its intended design life. Water table
and rainfall intensity have an influence on road performance constructed on soft soil. It
was also found that the ERPS design system performs better or similar to the road when
compared to the unreinforced (Control Section) and geotextile-reinforced (Existing
Practice) road pavement respectively. However, further research such as long term
monitoring of this research project is recommended so that more concrete conclusion on
the behaviour and performance of encapsulated road pavement can be derived.
This project contributes in producing reliable, quality rural road pavement
design and construction on Malaysian soft soil. This will enable its inclusion into
current standards and assist in the construction of better and efficient rural road
networks whilst gearing the nation towards achieving the Malaysian Vision 2020.


Tibial non-unions represent a spectrum of conditions and are challenging to treat. The optimal management remains unclear despite the frequency with which these diagnoses are encountered. We developed a tibial nonunion treatment algorithm following two retrospective audits of our patient outcomes and evaluated this algorithm in this prospective series. Thirty-seven consecutive patients with 39 uninfected tibial non-unions were treated according to our proposed treatment algorithm. There were 30 men and seven women with a mean age of 34 years. Twenty-three non-unions were classified as stiff hypertrophic, ten mobile atrophic and four mobile oligotrophic. Two non-unions were classified as type B1 defect non-unions. Bony union was achieved after the initial treatment in 37/39 (94.8%) tibias. Two patients had failure of treatment. These patients presented with progressive deformity after the external fixator was removed. One of these patients was successfully retreated according to the tibial non-union treatment algorithm. This resulted in final bony union after treatment in 38/39 (97.4%) tibias. Our proposed treatment algorithm appears to produce high union rates across a diverse group of tibial non-unions. These conditions however, remain difficult to treat and should be referred to specialist units where advanced reconstructive techniques are practised on a regular basis.


The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments are the cornerstone of much of American constitutional law. They provide the foundation for the Supreme Court's decisions on issues such as abortion and affirmative action, as well as the authority for a wide variety of important civil rights legislation. It is thus not surprising that the original understanding of those who drafted the amendments remains a hotly debated topic among historians, lawyers, political scientists, politicians, and anyone interested in civil liberties. The so-called Reconstruction Amendments are perhaps the most highly politicized issue in U.S. constitutional history. The textbook understanding of the three amendments is that, collectively, they "abolish slavery and guarantee civil rights and the suffrage to U.S. citizens, including former slaves" (from The New Columbia Encyclopedia, 1975). Much of the debate among scholars centers on the nature of the guarantees and the scope of the civil rights and liberties encompassed by the amendments (particularly Section I of the fourteenth). In this provocative book Earl Maltz provides an important new perspective on the debate. Heretofore most legal scholarship has focused on the drafting of the fourteenth amendment in isolation. Maltz argues that the political dynamic that produced the fourteenth that is, the voting coalition of Radical Republicans and the moderate, more conservative Republicans can only be understood by considering the three amendments together. Through a close analysis of legislative proceedings and of the precise language used, he builds a strong case that the civil rights actions (Freedman's Bureau Bill, District of Columbia suffrage, Civil Rights Act of 1866) and the thirteenth (1865), fourteenth (1866), and fifteenth (1870) amendments of the early Reconstruction era generally reflected the ideology and intentions of the conservative Republicans. These "moderates" advocated limited absolute equality rather than total racial equality and opposed the federal regulation of private and state actions. Maltz demonstrates that each of the amendments was carefully drawn with an eye to preserving the basic structure of American federalism with its characteristic emphasis on the need to preserve state autonomy. His conclusion is that currently popular open-ended theories of the fourteenth amendment undermine this autonomy and are thus inconsistent with the understanding of those who produced the Reconstruction Amendments."


This paper reports an approach for the rapid construction of virtual environments. The benefits of using this approach such as usability and re-usability of the virtual environment are described. As an example, a virtual workshop is constructed to include a lathe, a milling machine and robots to simulate a physical workshop for machining. To do so, the simulation data and design data are dynamically linked and stored in a database through the so-called 'database access objects'. The paper also shows how to implement the approach for planning manufacturing operations.


We propose a novel solution to the generalized camera pose problem which includes the internal scale of the generalized camera as an unknown parameter. This further generalization of the well-known absolute camera pose problem has applications in multi-frame loop closure. While a well-calibrated camera rig has a fixed and known scale, camera trajectories produced by monocular motion estimation necessarily lack a scale estimate. Thus, when performing loop closure in monocular visual odometry, or registering separate structure-from-motion reconstructions, we must estimate a seven degree-of-freedom similarity transform from corresponding observations. Existing approaches solve this problem, in specialized configurations, by aligning 3D triangulated points or individual camera pose estimates. Our approach handles general configurations of rays and points and directly estimates the full similarity transformation from the 2D-3D correspondences. Four correspondences are needed in the minimal case, which has eight possible solutions. The minimal solver can be used in a hypothesize-and-test architecture for robust transformation estimation. Our solver also produces a least-squares estimate in the overdetermined case. The approach is evaluated experimentally on synthetic and real datasets, and is shown to produce higher accuracy solutions to multi-frame loop closure than existing approaches.


Currently, the major trend in the automotive industry is to develop autonomous vehicles. All OEMs are focusing on increasing automation in their vehicles. Increase in automation leads to the design of complex safety-critical control algorithm. As the motion control controls the driving dynamics of the whole autonomous vehicle, any faults by the motion control may lead to hazardous events. So, in order to ensure safety, the outputs of the motion control should be monitored to check if the vehicle is following the intended path. The main objective of the thesis is to design an algorithm to detect faults affecting the motion on complete vehicle level. The first part of this report contains findings of a literature review on functional safety, monitoring concepts and fault detection methods. After completing the literature review on different fault detection method, it is found that monitor based on forward dynamics is best suited for this application. The monitor is modelled based on the single-track model of vehicle. It is discovered that the acceleration is more sensitive to torque faults than longitudinal velocity for monitoring longitudinal dynamics. For lateral dynamics, the yaw rate is chosen to monitor as it is found to be sensitive enough to detect faults. The designed monitor is improved by making it adaptive monitor in order to ensure safety and robustness. Suitable threshold values are composed based on the safety goals provided in order to classify as a fault. The designed monitor is validated in the simulation environment by injecting appropriate faults. From the results it is found, the monitor based on forward dynamics detects the faults in longitudinal acceleration and yaw rate quickly, thus ensures safety.


Although religious life in medieval Durham was ruled by its prince bishop and priory, the laity flourished and played a major role in the affairs of the parish, as Margaret Harvey demonstrates. Using a variety of sources, she provides a complete account of its history from the Conquest to the Dissolution of the priory, with a particular emphasis on the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. She shows how the laity interacted vigorously with both bishop and priory, and the relations between them, with the priory providing schools, hospitals, chantries and regular sermons, but also acting as a disciplinary force. On a wider level, she also looks at the whole question of lay religion and what can be discovered about it. She finishes by an examination of local reactions to the Reformation.


1. As in Rhodnius , the larval Oncopeltus has bristles which are supplemented at each moult. However, at metamorphosis a dense population of non-innervated hairs develops. 2. Implantation of corpora allata into 5th-stage larvae showed that the development of these hairs can be inhibited universally or locally by the juvenile hormone (JH). 3. Transplantations of integument between 5th-stage larvae of different stages in the moult cycle gave some information about the power of the host to synchronize the graft to its own moult cycle. 4. Transplantations between different larval stages showed that the grafted in tegument responded to the hormonal milieu of the host. 5. Adult integument was transplanted onto larvae to study the reversal of metamorphosis. It was found that the development of a supernumerary population of hairs depended on the integument passing through a moult cycle in the presence of JH. After two moults in the presence of JH, reversal of metamorphosis was found to vary over the surface of the transplant, being further advanced at the margin. At the edge of the graft properly formed larval bristles developed, while at the centre adult hairs were formed in adult cuticle. Intermediately formed bristles were found in the intervening areas. It is suggested that reactions associated with wounding are the cause of this heterogeneous result. 6. The significance of these results in relation to other work and to theories concerning the mode of action of the juvenile hormone is discussed.


A microwave network approach is employed for the description and analysis of leaky-wave antennas. This approach is based on a transverse resonance procedure which yields the complex propagation constants for the leaky waves. A perturbation technique is then applied to the resonance equation to obtain results in simple and practical form. These procedures are illustrated by application to a number of practical leaky rectangular waveguide structures. Very good agreement is obtained between the theoretical results and the measured values.


This paper follows the report on the "Quality of Urban Design: Study of the Influence of Private Property Decision Maker in Urban Design" (RICS 1996). It focuses on one of the findings in the report, namely that decisions made in development, investment and occupation seemed overly influenced by short term considerations. In this paper, the authors review the Report and examine the concept of short termism as it affects urban design decisions. The paper concludes that although it is difficult to establish whether or not short termism exists in many decisions, there are grounds for believing that a priori short termism might particularly influence property orientated decisions. The paper ends with some implications for policy both at the economy and local level.


The application of blockchain technology to the energy sector promises to derive new operating models focused on local generation and sustainable practices, which are driven by peer-to-peer collaboration and community engagement. However, real-world energy blockchains differ from typical blockchain networks insofar as they must interoperate with grid infrastructure, adhere to energy regulations, and embody engineering principles. Naturally, these additional dimensions make real-world energy blockchains highly dependent on the participation of grid operators, engineers, and energy providers. Although much theoretical and proof-of-concept research has been published on energy blockchains, this research aims to establish a lens on real-world projects and implementations that may inform the alignment of academic and industry research agendas. This research classifies 131 real-world energy blockchain initiatives to develop an understanding of how blockchains are being applied to the energy domain, what type of failure rates can be observed from recently reported initiatives, and what level of technical and theoretical details are reported for real-world deployments. The results presented from the systematic analysis highlight that real-world energy blockchains are (a) growing exponentially year-on-year, (b) producing relatively low failure/drop-off rates (~7% since 2015), and (c) demonstrating information sharing protocols that produce content with insufficient technical and theoretical depth.


The study of the blood sera of vaccinated children carried out by means of the indirect hemagglutination test with the use of dried erythrocytic diagnostic reagents prepared at the Pasteur Institute of Experimental Medicine, revealed that in groups free from measles infection for a long time immunity in children grew lower as the time elapsed since the date of vaccination increased. In 9-12 years antibody titers in the vaccines decreased, the percentage of children with protective titers dropping from 83.5 to 36.3. The revaccination of seronegative children ensured a significant increase in antibody titers in 51.6% of such children with the preservation of protective titers for 1 year (the term of observation). The repeated immunization of seropositive children with initial titers of 1:10 to 1:20 significantly stimulated their increase, lasting for a very short time, in 84.2-89.2% of children. In children with an initial antibody titer of 1:40 short-term seroconversion was detected only in 20-7% of cases, and in those with an initial titer of 1:80 no cases of seroconversion were observed. The data thus obtained suggest that the revaccination of seronegative children should be recommended.


Background and Purpose— Approximately 70% of all patients presenting with transient ischemic attack are admitted to the hospital in United States. The duration and cost of hospitalization and associated factors are poorly understood. This article seeks to identify the proportion and determinants of prolonged hospitalization and to determine the impact on hospital charges using nationally representative data. Methods— We determined the national estimates of length of stay, mortality, and charges incurred in patients admitted with transient ischemic attack (diagnosis-related code 524 or 069) using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2002 to 2010. Nationwide Inpatient Sample is the largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States and contains data from ≈1000 hospitals, which is a 20% stratified sample of US community hospitals. All the variables pertaining to hospitalization were compared in 3 groups on the basis of length of hospital stay (⩽1, 2–6, and ≥7 days). Results— A total of 949 558 patients were admitted with the diagnosis of transient ischemic attack during the study period. The length of hospitalization was ⩽1, 2 to 6, and ≥7 days in 232 732 (24.4%), 662 909 (70%), and 53 917 (5.6%) patients, respectively. The mean hospitalization charges were $10 876, $17 187, and $38 200 for patients hospitalized for ⩽1, 2 to 6, and ≥7 days, respectively. The use of thrombolytics (0.03%, 0.09%, and 0.1%; P<0.0001) for ischemic stroke was very low among the 3 strata defined by length of hospitalization. In the multivariate analysis, the following factors were associated with length of hospitalization of ≥2 days: age >65 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.5), women (OR, 1.2), admission to teaching hospitals (OR, 1.1), renal failure (OR, 1.7), hypertension (OR, 1.1), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.2), chronic lung disease (OR, 1.4), congestive heart failure (OR, 1.4), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.5), ischemic stroke occurrence (OR, 1.4), Medicare/Medicaid insurance (OR, 1.3), and hospital location in Northeast US region (OR, 1.5; all P values <0.025). Conclusions— Approximately 75% of patients admitted with transient ischemic attack stay in the hospital for ≥2 days, with the most important determinants being pre-existing medical comorbidities. Longer duration of hospital stay is associated with 2- to 5-fold greater hospitalization charges.


The asymptotic bias and variance are important determinants of the quality of a simulation run. In particular, the asymptotic bias can be used to approximate the bias introduced by starting the collection of a measure in a particular state distribution, and the asymptotic variance can be used to compute the simulation time required to obtain, a statistically significant estimate of a measure. While both of these measures can be computed analytically for simple models and measures, e.g., the average buffer occupancy of an M/G/1 queue, practical computational methods have not been developed for general model classes. Such results would be useful since they would provide insight into the simulation time required for particular systems and measures and the bias introduced by a particular initial state distribution. We discuss the numerical computation of the asymptotic bias and variance of measures derived from continuous-time Markov reward models. In particular, we show how both measures together can be efficiently computed by solving two systems of linear equations. As a consequence of this formulation, we are able to numerically compute the asymptotic bias and variance of measures defined on very large and irregular Markov reward models. To illustrate this point, we apply the developed algorithm to queues with complex traffic behavior, different service time distributions, and several alternative scheduling disciplines that may be typically encountered in nodes in high-speed communication networks.


Subject of study. We consider interference of unidirectional shock waves or, as they are called, catching up shock waves. The scope of work is to give a classification of the shock-wave structures that arise in this type of interaction of shock waves, and the area of their existence. Intersection of unidirectional shock waves results in arising of a shock-wave structure at the intersection point, which contains the main shock wave, tangential discontinuity and one more reflected gas-dynamic discontinuity of unknown beforehand type. The problem of determining the type of reflected discontinuity is the main problem that one has to solve in the study of catching shock waves interference. Main results. The paper presents the pictures of shock-wave structures arising at the interaction of catching up shock waves. The areas with a regular and irregular unidirectional interaction of shocks are described. Characteristic shock-wave structures are of greatest interest, where reflected gas-dynamic discontinuity degenerates into discontinuous characteristics. Such structures have a number of extreme properties. We have found the areas of existence for such shock-wave structures. There are also areas in which the steady-state solution is not available. The latter has determined revival of interest for the theoretical study of the problem, because the facts of sudden shock-wave structure destruction inside the air intake of supersonic aircrafts at high Mach numbers have been discovered. Practical significance. The theory of interference for unidirectional shock waves and design procedure are usable in the design of supersonic air intakes. It is also relevant for application possibility investigation of catching up oblique shock waves to create overcompressed detonation in perspective detonation air-jet and rocket engines.


The existence of scale economies in hospitals in important for both public and managerial policy, yet production and cost function studies have found conflicting evidence. More recently, more sophisticated studies have typically found scale diseconomies, which is inconsistent with the views of industry participants and observers. In the early 1980s. California deregulated both private and public health insurance (Medical), which provides a natural laboratory for examining hospital efficiency. Using Stigler's original and multivariate survivor analysis, we resolve the conflict in favour of scale economies, and reconcile the controversy. The survivorship methodology in simple to apply, and a useful tool in conjunction with statistical cost and production studies.


In recent years, deep learning has unlocked unprecedented success in various domains, especially in image, text, and speech processing. These breakthroughs may hold promise for neuroscience and especially for brain-imaging investigators who start to analyze thousands of participants. However, deep learning is only beneficial if the data have nonlinear relationships and if they are exploitable at currently available sample sizes. We systematically profiled the performance of deep models, kernel models, and linear models as a function of sample size on UK Biobank brain images against established machine learning references. On MNIST and Zalando Fashion, prediction accuracy consistently improved when escalating from linear models to shallow-nonlinear models, and further improved when switching to deep-nonlinear models. The more observations were available for model training, the greater the performance gain we saw. In contrast, using structural or functional brain scans, simple linear models performed on par with more complex, highly parameterized models in age/sex prediction across increasing sample sizes. In fact, linear models kept improving as the sample size approached ∼10,000 participants. Our results indicate that the increase in performance of linear models with additional data does not saturate at the limit of current feasibility. Yet, nonlinearities of common brain scans remain largely inaccessible to both kernel and deep learning methods at any examined scale.


ABSTRACT Painful mucosal lesions negatively affect quality of life. When located in the oral cavity, they can cause pain that interferes with speech and swallowing. Acute pain from intra-oral lesions is difficult to treat with conventional methods such as systemic opioids or viscous lidocaine. These cases exemplify a safe, fast and effective method for treating painful mouth lesions that are not responsive to standard treatments. Mr. D and Mr. G had from painful oral lesions caused by squamous cell carcinoma. Severe pain interfered with their ability to speak and swallow, resulting in poor nutrition and dehydration. 4% liquid cocaine, self-applied topically to the open mouth sores, resulted in relief within minutes in both cases. Repeated dosing every six hours allowed both patients to restart oral nutrition without any reported side effects. Topical cocaine has not been described for repeated dosing for oral or other mucosal pain. Potential side effects of mucosal administration include gingival recession and erythematous lesions. If the recommended topical doses are exceeded, liquid cocaine may be absorbed systemically causing a stimulant response or addiction. When used appropriately, however, this intervention can result in a dramatic improvement in quality of life and functional status.


: How can the process of making objects create meaning and belonging for the agents involved? Through two objects and their process of making, we propose a journey in a territory, its people and a continuing history. This journey is meant to expose how meaning and belonging can be created by the process of making (objects); and moreover how this aim could be reached in the situation of a research through design. According to a heuristic approach, each situation created by the IDIS Chair is an opportunity to probe models of production and reflect on the ability of design to mediate experimental and valuable social experiences of work and creation. The IDIS Chair has thus invited design students and young designers to meet and engage with various local companies and know-hows. It also helps them to develop communication tools to make social innovation visible and graspable, so that the general public understand the added human value of such objects. With the help of graphic designers and an anthropologist, experiential books, production cartographies and social mappings are under construction and probing for this purpose.